< Translated at Blessed Empyrean wordpress. >
“Our Prince is truly…… a savior, really a savior.”
Nasir praised Renato with an entranced expression, gathering his hands together as if praying. Originally having a positive opinion of the two’s contract marriage, he now called Renato ‘our Prince’. Especially after Renato defended him from Marquis Ishbart at the engagement celebration banquet, he almost glorified Renato to the knights.
Additionally, Nasir’s family now had a chance to take another leap forward thanks to Renato. His older brother’s merchant guild was permitted to engage in commercial activities, use the port, and receive benefits such as tariff reduction in the Esteban territory.
“Really, where did that lucky charm come from, hehe, I’m finally tasting the pleasure of living these days.”
“What is that expression?”
Khalid squinted his eyes when Nasir grinned and looked at him. From a while ago, Nasir had occasionally looked at him with an emotional face like that. It was like the face of a parent who delightedly sent their grown-up child away.
“What’s wrong with my expression?”
“I feel like you are teasing me. The corners of your eyes and lips are twitching.”
“How can it be teasing?! I’m proud and happy because our grand prince is finally walking on a flower road.”
“Flower road……”
“Everything in the kingdom is going well thanks to His Imperial Highness, right? Didn’t you see the noble faction bastards making sour faces earlier? The humans who have always raised their heads upright in front of you are now being all timid and polite…… I had a hard time holding back my laughter.”
Nasir giggled, feeling pleasant even when he thought about it again. Recently, every noble in the kingdom had been kind to Khalid. To be precise, it began when Renato announced the list of merchant guilds that would do business with the Esteban territory.
“That was indeed a bit surprising.”
Recalling what just happened in the royal castle’s first conference room a while ago, Khalid chuckled. He had a meeting with the nobles today for the sake of the knights that decided to stay in the kingdom. Khalid wanted them to serve in the First Royal Knights Order, which required the approval of several nobles with relevant powers.
The nobles, whom he thought would naturally oppose, were much more cooperative than expected. It was because they wanted to look good to Renato. Despite not receiving permission for commercial activities this time, they seemed to be waiting for the next opportunity.
“I had some expectations ever since the marriage was decided, but I honestly didn’t know that His Imperial Highness would do this much. He’s such a jaw-dropping beauty, an amazingly wealthy person, his ability is exceptional, and his personality is also good. He has everything, seriously.”
Nasir grinned and praised Renato. Then, he suddenly looked at Khalid with a serious gaze.
“So you have to treat His Imperial Highness well. You truly are blessed, your highness. Would anyone else do this much for a political marriage?”
“I know. So I’m also worried.”
“Pardon? Worried? Do you have anything on your mind?”
As Khalid added, Nasir tilted his head to ask what he meant.
“……I think His Imperial Highness is overdoing it.”
Hesitating a bit, Khalid sighed and replied. After coming to the kingdom, Renato was taking action more aggressively and actively than anyone else. He was different from the timid and helpless image seen in the Empire.
The problem was that his actions weren’t for Renato himself. Most of what Renato did was for Khalid and Trudy or others.
It was the same in this merchant guild matter. The contracts Renato made with the merchant guilds of families cordial to Khalid were like charity work. The one benefiting the most from this was Khalid, not Renato or Esteban territory. He could understand the reason for Viscount Roman’s complicated expression every time they met.
Back when writing the marriage contract, now, and also other times…… Renato kept wanting to give Khalid something. With just a glance, he could feel a sense of duty from Renato’s behavior that seemed almost like a compulsion. He could also feel a bit of guilt.
That fact always weighed on Khalid’s mind. Thinking that Renato was making unnecessary sacrifices for his own sake, Khalid felt both grateful and complicated.
“Hmm, it definitely feels so.”
Nasir softly murmured, agreeing with Khalid. In his eyes, Renato also seemed to be forcing himself too much. Sometimes he felt as if Renato was being chased by something.
“So I’m worried. Because he doesn’t take care of himself at all.”
Khalid wished Renato could care for himself at least half as much as how he took care of and worried about the others. He sighed again, feeling stuffy.
Renato proposed a contractual marriage to protect his younger brother Trudy. None of the contract details were for Renato himself. As for the contract’s terms, even an outsider could also see that Khalid had a one-sided advantage.
After all that sacrifice and devotion, what is left for him?
His red eyes, submerged in the shade of the night, darkened. Khalid wanted Renato to cherish and love himself a little more. He kept thinking that it would be good for Renato to live for himself and not for others.
“I feel a bit apologetic that I’m only receiving from him the entire time……”
“Uhm, one day you will have a chance to pay him back. When we return to the Empire, His Imperial Highness will not be able to use his power like now. Won’t you be able to help him then?”
Pondering together with Khalid, Nasir carefully expressed his opinion. He knew very well that his liege disliked being indebted to others.
Renato wanted two things from Khalid at the time of their marriage contract. One was Trudy’s personal protection, and the other was military support in case of armed conflicts such as a civil war related to the throne succession.
The first request was still being carried out with a knight disguised as an attendant and a shadow guard, while the second request was difficult to realize immediately, so they were thoroughly preparing to dispatch troops at any time.
“Ah, it would be nice if you could spend 30 years together with His Imperial Highness instead of 3 years…… No, not that. 30 years are too few. Just for a lifetime!”
Nasir muttered to himself in a slightly joking tone to ease the heavy atmosphere. Immediately, Khalid, who was walking toward the guesthouse, paused his steps.
3 years. Hearing those words, he felt suffocated as if a heavy stone was sinking into his chest. Unknowingly irritated, Khalid glared at Nasir.
“Be quiet. What if anyone hears it when you run your mouth out in the open?”
“Eek, my apologies.”
At the sharp rebuke, Nasir quickly covered his mouth with his hand. Very few people knew that Renato and Khalid’s marriage was by contract. It was a secret that even Queen Maryam didn’t know, so he certainly needed to be careful inside the palace.
“It’s okay, just go in and rest.”
“Yes, your highness. Please have a good night.”
Knowing that he had reacted sharply for no reason, Khaled waved his hand and entered the guesthouse. Then, with familiar steps, he headed for the bedroom. Luna, guarding the bedroom door, bowed her head when she saw him.
“Welcome back, your highness.”
“How about His Imperial Highness?”
“He just went to bed a little while ago.”
“You have worked hard.”
Saying farewell to Luna in a low voice, Khalid went inside, muffling his steps. The bedroom with the lights off was quiet. Khalid took off his jacket and roughly laid it on the chair, slowly coming to the bed where he could hear regular breathing.
Renato, curling up on the bed, was asleep. Khalid looked at him who was exhaling soft breaths for a moment and took off the gloves covered in night dew. Then, he lightly shook his hands and sat down on the bed.
“I’m back.”
After shaking off the night’s cold air, Khalid tenderly ran his hand down the silver hair. For the past three days, Khalid and Renato were busy with their schedules, so they couldn’t even talk properly, let alone eat together.
Khalid always went out before Renato woke up and only came back after he fell asleep. As Khalid would leave the kingdom for at least a few years, he had a lot of matters to deal with.
It’s okay to wake me up, so please greet me when you come back.
Perhaps finding that regretful, Renato deliberately left a note in a place Khalid could see this morning. After all, if Khalid decided to suppress the noises he created, Renato would never hear them.
Khalid looked at the soundly sleeping Renato, gently caressing his eye corner with the tear mole. His undereye, slightly darker than before, worried Khalid. As Renato no longer had nightmares and slept better after coming to the kingdom, Khalid couldn’t understand why his undereye was dark.
Perhaps because he had many things to care about. Thinking so made Khalid feel sorry again. He gently rubbed the skin with his thumb, wanting to erase the shadow under those eyes. Then, the long eyelashes trembled.
“Nngh……”
The small lips parted open, letting out a small sound. The neat brows were also slightly furrowed. Immediately, Khalid’s attention was focused on Renato. Looking down at the quivering eyelids, he gulped.
When he recalled, he had only seen Renato sleeping for the past three days. With that, his desire to wake Renato clashed with his desire to let him sleep.
Feeling conflicted, Khalid slowly leaned his upper body toward Renato. Then, feeling a faint scent of blood, he froze. Through Renato’s body odor mixed with his pheromone scent, he could briefly smell blood.
< Translated at Blessed Empyrean wordpress. >
“Our Prince is truly…… a savior, really a savior.”
Nasir praised Renato with an entranced expression, gathering his hands together as if praying. Originally having a positive opinion of the two’s contract marriage, he now called Renato ‘our Prince’. Especially after Renato defended him from Marquis Ishbart at the engagement celebration banquet, he almost glorified Renato to the knights.
Additionally, Nasir’s family now had a chance to take another leap forward thanks to Renato. His older brother’s merchant guild was permitted to engage in commercial activities, use the port, and receive benefits such as tariff reduction in the Esteban territory.
“Really, where did that lucky charm come from, hehe, I’m finally tasting the pleasure of living these days.”
“What is that expression?”
Khalid squinted his eyes when Nasir grinned and looked at him. From a while ago, Nasir had occasionally looked at him with an emotional face like that. It was like the face of a parent who delightedly sent their grown-up child away.
“What’s wrong with my expression?”
“I feel like you are teasing me. The corners of your eyes and lips are twitching.”
“How can it be teasing?! I’m proud and happy because our grand prince is finally walking on a flower road.”
“Flower road……”
“Everything in the kingdom is going well thanks to His Imperial Highness, right? Didn’t you see the noble faction bastards making sour faces earlier? The humans who have always raised their heads upright in front of you are now being all timid and polite…… I had a hard time holding back my laughter.”
Nasir giggled, feeling pleasant even when he thought about it again. Recently, every noble in the kingdom had been kind to Khalid. To be precise, it began when Renato announced the list of merchant guilds that would do business with the Esteban territory.
“That was indeed a bit surprising.”
Recalling what just happened in the royal castle’s first conference room a while ago, Khalid chuckled. He had a meeting with the nobles today for the sake of the knights that decided to stay in the kingdom. Khalid wanted them to serve in the First Royal Knights Order, which required the approval of several nobles with relevant powers.
The nobles, whom he thought would naturally oppose, were much more cooperative than expected. It was because they wanted to look good to Renato. Despite not receiving permission for commercial activities this time, they seemed to be waiting for the next opportunity.
“I had some expectations ever since the marriage was decided, but I honestly didn’t know that His Imperial Highness would do this much. He’s such a jaw-dropping beauty, an amazingly wealthy person, his ability is exceptional, and his personality is also good. He has everything, seriously.”
Nasir grinned and praised Renato. Then, he suddenly looked at Khalid with a serious gaze.
“So you have to treat His Imperial Highness well. You truly are blessed, your highness. Would anyone else do this much for a political marriage?”
“I know. So I’m also worried.”
“Pardon? Worried? Do you have anything on your mind?”
As Khalid added, Nasir tilted his head to ask what he meant.
“……I think His Imperial Highness is overdoing it.”
Hesitating a bit, Khalid sighed and replied. After coming to the kingdom, Renato was taking action more aggressively and actively than anyone else. He was different from the timid and helpless image seen in the Empire.
The problem was that his actions weren’t for Renato himself. Most of what Renato did was for Khalid and Trudy or others.
It was the same in this merchant guild matter. The contracts Renato made with the merchant guilds of families cordial to Khalid were like charity work. The one benefiting the most from this was Khalid, not Renato or Esteban territory. He could understand the reason for Viscount Roman’s complicated expression every time they met.
Back when writing the marriage contract, now, and also other times…… Renato kept wanting to give Khalid something. With just a glance, he could feel a sense of duty from Renato’s behavior that seemed almost like a compulsion. He could also feel a bit of guilt.
That fact always weighed on Khalid’s mind. Thinking that Renato was making unnecessary sacrifices for his own sake, Khalid felt both grateful and complicated.
“Hmm, it definitely feels so.”
Nasir softly murmured, agreeing with Khalid. In his eyes, Renato also seemed to be forcing himself too much. Sometimes he felt as if Renato was being chased by something.
“So I’m worried. Because he doesn’t take care of himself at all.”
Khalid wished Renato could care for himself at least half as much as how he took care of and worried about the others. He sighed again, feeling stuffy.
Renato proposed a contractual marriage to protect his younger brother Trudy. None of the contract details were for Renato himself. As for the contract’s terms, even an outsider could also see that Khalid had a one-sided advantage.
After all that sacrifice and devotion, what is left for him?
His red eyes, submerged in the shade of the night, darkened. Khalid wanted Renato to cherish and love himself a little more. He kept thinking that it would be good for Renato to live for himself and not for others.
“I feel a bit apologetic that I’m only receiving from him the entire time……”
“Uhm, one day you will have a chance to pay him back. When we return to the Empire, His Imperial Highness will not be able to use his power like now. Won’t you be able to help him then?”
Pondering together with Khalid, Nasir carefully expressed his opinion. He knew very well that his liege disliked being indebted to others.
Renato wanted two things from Khalid at the time of their marriage contract. One was Trudy’s personal protection, and the other was military support in case of armed conflicts such as a civil war related to the throne succession.
The first request was still being carried out with a knight disguised as an attendant and a shadow guard, while the second request was difficult to realize immediately, so they were thoroughly preparing to dispatch troops at any time.
“Ah, it would be nice if you could spend 30 years together with His Imperial Highness instead of 3 years…… No, not that. 30 years are too few. Just for a lifetime!”
Nasir muttered to himself in a slightly joking tone to ease the heavy atmosphere. Immediately, Khalid, who was walking toward the guesthouse, paused his steps.
3 years. Hearing those words, he felt suffocated as if a heavy stone was sinking into his chest. Unknowingly irritated, Khalid glared at Nasir.
“Be quiet. What if anyone hears it when you run your mouth out in the open?”
“Eek, my apologies.”
At the sharp rebuke, Nasir quickly covered his mouth with his hand. Very few people knew that Renato and Khalid’s marriage was by contract. It was a secret that even Queen Maryam didn’t know, so he certainly needed to be careful inside the palace.
“It’s okay, just go in and rest.”
“Yes, your highness. Please have a good night.”
Knowing that he had reacted sharply for no reason, Khaled waved his hand and entered the guesthouse. Then, with familiar steps, he headed for the bedroom. Luna, guarding the bedroom door, bowed her head when she saw him.
“Welcome back, your highness.”
“How about His Imperial Highness?”
“He just went to bed a little while ago.”
“You have worked hard.”
Saying farewell to Luna in a low voice, Khalid went inside, muffling his steps. The bedroom with the lights off was quiet. Khalid took off his jacket and roughly laid it on the chair, slowly coming to the bed where he could hear regular breathing.
Renato, curling up on the bed, was asleep. Khalid looked at him who was exhaling soft breaths for a moment and took off the gloves covered in night dew. Then, he lightly shook his hands and sat down on the bed.
“I’m back.”
After shaking off the night’s cold air, Khalid tenderly ran his hand down the silver hair. For the past three days, Khalid and Renato were busy with their schedules, so they couldn’t even talk properly, let alone eat together.
Khalid always went out before Renato woke up and only came back after he fell asleep. As Khalid would leave the kingdom for at least a few years, he had a lot of matters to deal with.
It’s okay to wake me up, so please greet me when you come back.
Perhaps finding that regretful, Renato deliberately left a note in a place Khalid could see this morning. After all, if Khalid decided to suppress the noises he created, Renato would never hear them.
Khalid looked at the soundly sleeping Renato, gently caressing his eye corner with the tear mole. His undereye, slightly darker than before, worried Khalid. As Renato no longer had nightmares and slept better after coming to the kingdom, Khalid couldn’t understand why his undereye was dark.
Perhaps because he had many things to care about. Thinking so made Khalid feel sorry again. He gently rubbed the skin with his thumb, wanting to erase the shadow under those eyes. Then, the long eyelashes trembled.
“Nngh……”
The small lips parted open, letting out a small sound. The neat brows were also slightly furrowed. Immediately, Khalid’s attention was focused on Renato. Looking down at the quivering eyelids, he gulped.
When he recalled, he had only seen Renato sleeping for the past three days. With that, his desire to wake Renato clashed with his desire to let him sleep.
Feeling conflicted, Khalid slowly leaned his upper body toward Renato. Then, feeling a faint scent of blood, he froze. Through Renato’s body odor mixed with his pheromone scent, he could briefly smell blood.
